Good Neighbour Program

Creating a caring community

Well-connected neighbourhoods are the building blocks of a vibrant and safe community. Often the most effective approaches to addressing issues such as crime and disorder are right at our doorstep—in our own neighbourhoods. Burnaby’s Good Neighbours program offers ideas and information about programs available to promote neighbourhood interaction and activities. Get involved—and help build a better Burnaby for all.

Grants–to Support Neighbourhood Community Building 

A number of small grant opportunities exist to encourage positive projects in your neighbourhood! They are easy to apply for and support a range of neighbourhood activities, from boulevard gardens to outside play equipment for kids.

The Vancouver Foundation is a BC-wide organization that offers grants of up to $500 to fund projects that will improve local neighbourhoods. There’ s even a specific grant program just for youth! Vancouver Foundation grants are a great way for neighbours to get together, plan and organize projects or events that will deepen neighbourhood connections and create positive change in Burnaby. To find out more and get notified of grant applications, please visit Neighbourhood Small Grants

Through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the Block Watch Society of BC provides annual Safe Community Grants of up to $200 to Block Watch groups. The funds can be used for block parties or other events designed to encourage residents to get to know each other and engage in community safety. To find out more about the application process, please visit Block Watch Society of BC.

The Neighbourhood Youth Connections Grant Program funds youth-driven neighbourhood improvement projects. This program is intended to enhance positive connections between youth and their community. Projects are supported under the broad areas of Youth Leadership, Social Connections or Beautification. To find out more, visit Burnaby Neighbourhood House and scroll down the page to find the BNH Youth Connections Grant Program. 

Bylaws

Bylaws provide the boundaries for neighbourly conduct and can be a helpful tool in supporting good relationships between residents. 

All of us are responsible for having a basic awareness of the bylaws related to community behaviours. Most of the time, bylaws are broken through neighbourhood issues related to vehicle parking and stopping, animal control, noise, or problems related to unsightly properties. 

Most of the time a friendly conversation between neighbours is the best way to address a neighbourhood concern. Often, a neighbour may not be aware that their behaviours are causing any concerns for others and are quite willing to fix the problem. 

Please consider the parking and moving needs of vehicles throughout your neighbourhood. Encourage your guests and tenants to be mindful of this as well. Considerate parking prevents potential parking-related neighbourhood conflicts and keeps traffic moving smoothly throughout Burnaby.

Neighbourly behaviour is important for our animals too! Please pick up and dispose of poop appropriately, license your animals and work to discourage frequent barking. These simple acts can increase the liveability of our neighbourhoods, for people and pets alike. 

Neighbours may have different expectations about comfortable noise levels. We can all expect relative comfort from noise in our homes, within reason. Being considerate of your neighbours for social events, house maintenance work and pet barking can prevent most common noise-related conflicts.  

When a property is poorly maintained it can negatively affect the look and liveability of the entire neighbourhood. Sometimes the deterioration of a property can be temporary; the people living there may be experiencing challenges preventing them from managing the upkeep. In situations like this, sometimes a friendly conversation or offer of neighbourly assistance can be helpful. If the problem is significant, City regulations and resources can address the issue to benefit the neighbourhood. 

For further information on our Burnaby Bylaws please visit bylaws or give us a call at 604-294-7944.

Home security

Neighbourhood crime prevention starts at home. Elements of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) can be easily incorporated to increase the overall security of your home. A free home security assessment by CPTED trained staff may be available. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or 604-294-7944.

Was this page useful?